AASU Warns Against Citizenship Bill 2016

Activists of All Assam Students Union (AASU) take part in protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. 2016.

GUWAHATI (IANS) — The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and 28 other organizations on Thursday staged an agitation in Dispur against the government move to execute the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 in Assam and other parts of the North-East.

Hundreds of people drawn from AASU and 28 other outfits took part in a rally organized from Ganeshguri to Dispur in protest against the Bill, saying it will threaten the existence of indigenous people of Assam and northeastern states.

“Today we are holding a warning demonstration. We urge the Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal-led Assam government to say an emphatic ‘no’ to the Bill. If the government goes ahead with it, none sitting in Dispur will be spared,” said AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya while addressing the rally.

He said the BJP came to power in Assam riding on promises of change. “Nothing has changed in the last two years. The illegal Bangladeshis are supposed to leave the state, it did not happen. The indigenous people are supposed to get constitutional safeguard, again, nothing happened,” he said.

AASU President Dipank Kumar Nath said their democratic movement and crusade against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016; the Foreigners (Amendment) Order, 2015; the Passport (Entry into India) Amendment Rules, 2015 and the proposed long-term visas to people from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan would continue.

“The Centre is out to insult the Assam Accord by amending the Citizenship Act. We are not going to let that happen. We’ll continue our protest till the Centre cancels the Citizenship Bill, 2016. We appeal to all linguistic and ethnic groups of the state to oppose the Bill unitedly,” Nath said.

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